wallflowers: one shot collection [Kaylor]

sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll

"I'm trying to cut back." Taylor grumbles.

"Oh well, we have to get ready."

Taylor rolls back over to check the time on her phone, and she feels her agitation increase when she sees that she's only been asleep for a little more than three hours. If it was anyone else asking this of her she'd probably have a few choice words for them, but this is Selena. The very first friend she made at college and the only one who can keep her sane half of the time. They're like sisters.

"Ready for what?" Taylor sighs in defeat as she sits up, running a hand through her disheveled blonde hair.

"A house party."

"No." Taylor shakes her head adamantly, already preparing to lay back down. She doesn't do parties. It's not her idea of fun, especially not in this town where everyone is young and wild and shameless. Selena goes out on weekends sometimes and she always comes home with a crazy story. People standing on top of roofs, the police being called, an excessive amount of alcohol and vomiting. It just doesn't sound like a fun time, and Taylor can't even begin to comprehend why her best friend would think she'd come along today of all days. Who has a party on a Wednesday in the middle of finals week? Certainly no one she would affiliate with.

"It's not that kind of house party, Taylor. My friend's band is playing, and I told her we'd come by and watch."

"You have a friend in a band?" Taylor raises a skeptic brow. She's known Selena for almost two years and she's never heard of any musically inclined friend.

"Yeah, you've met her before. Cara."

That just confuses Taylor even more. She's met Cara before but she never knew the British girl was in a band. "She's in a band? Since when?"

"Years, I think. They're really good and super popular around here."

"How come I've never heard of them?"

"Because your idea of a good time is sitting in the library for fourteen hours. They have a good following here, you're just lame." Selena shrugs as she starts to open the drawers of her dresser, most likely looking for an outfit to wear for the night.

"Does Cara sing or something? What kind of music is it?" Taylor's interest is piqued, and she blatantly ignores Selena's offensive words. This isn't the first time her best friend has called her lame, and it definitely won't be the last.

"She plays guitar, and I don't really know what genre they are. Maybe rock? They have a really cool sound."

"Are they good?"

"You'll see tonight."

Taylor huffs petulantly, but doesn't bother refusing this time around. She's not really a band type of girl, but she loves anything that has to do with music. There had been a time where she had wanted to pursue a career in it, but her parents always said it was a pipe dream. Something unattainable and improbable. College was safer, and Taylor eventually stopped dreaming.

"What time is the party?" Taylor asks while climbing off of her bed and stretching leisurely.

"It starts at nine but they don't play until ten."

It leaves them plenty of time to get ready, and Taylor actually has to knock down two cups of coffee just to motivate herself to straighten her obnoxiously curly hair. By the time nine rolls around, she and Selena are readying themselves to make the long walk to the party. It's a half hour walk from their dorm since the house is off-campus, but Taylor doesn't mind the walk at all. Summertime has officially fallen over Massachusetts and the night air is sticky with just the right amount of humidity for their hair not to frizz. Selena answers a few more questions about the band they're about to go see, and with every given answer Taylor's curiosity mounts. Apparently the band consists of four members – all female – and they've been together for a long time. The party is being held at the house that they all share, and the only reason it's in the middle of finals week is because none of the band is in school save for Cara.